Maybe, but I like to think of it as two separate goals:
Goal 1 = movement + goal 2 = exercise.
Here are some examples of how I break these two apart:
Movement is how you actually move your body during the day. This could mean parking on the far-end of the grocery store parking lot, playing outside with your kids or taking the dog for a walk. It might be cleaning the house, or it’s a stretch break after sitting at your desk for a few hours.
Exercise is a planned, structured activity with repetitive and intentional movement. Your intent is to improve or maintain physical fitness and health within the activity.
These two things do not live on individual islands, they must coexist!
Movement is the number one thing to tackle FIRST.
Tackling healthy movement over exercise.
Running on a treadmill or hitting your favorite group gym class twice a week is great! These are both good activities for your both. BUT neither of these exercises will counter the negative effects of sitting hunched over a computer for 8+ hours every day.
To improve your overall wellness and health, you must have regular healthy movement throughout your day (yes, I mean every day). Regular body movements have all kinds of benefits! It’ll boost your daily energy levels, maintain hormone health, and encourage positive mood levels.
Master movement first, then start adding in the exercise.
This does two things:
1) encourages habit change
2) allows you intentionally tackle your overall health from a movement perspective.
Intentionally moving your body
Let me expand on “intentionally” tackling your overall health through movement. You only get one body. Invest in it! Your story is your story, and you need a plan of action that matches that. At the same time, if you do the same thing over and over again looking for new results, you won’t find them. You need to push your own limits, nourish yourself, and show up (as in, commit to YOU).
When you’re moving your body, remember that you’re in the driver’s seat. If you’re taking a walk, trying a new gym class, or settling into bed early — those are all decisions you have made for yourself. Each will impact how you feel, on the inside and the outside.
Can healthy movement make you happier?
Yes, it can! An active, healthy lifestyle = happier, healthier life. Here are some tips on how you can use movement to improve your day.
- Work out to FEEL a certain way — not to LOOK a certain way. You’ll stop chasing superficial goals and start pursuing happiness instead. This is one of my top secrets to staying consistent in your exercise for a lifetime (instead of a fad workout).
- Do workouts you actually LOVE. Find one (or 10) exercise routine(s) that fit you. It should be something you are looking forward to doing. Don’t try to be your fave IG #fitmom and just do you, queen.
- Be PRESENT in your exercise time. Yes, that might mean doing push-ups with a toddler sitting on your back. But put aside the other “things” from your day. Focus your mind. Focus on how your body is moving.
- Be your own #1 fan. Go ahead and grab a pair of (figurative) pom-poms and be your own encourager! Instead of putting yourself down, be proud of what you’re doing. Praise every small step, every bit of progress — allow yourself to advance at your own pace, and celebrate every victory. Oh, and don’t forget to smile.
Listen to what those (moving) muscles tell you
If you’re starting something new that relates to movement (be it walking that hill in your neighborhood, or parking half-a-mile from the grocery store), you’re gonna feel it. Maybe immediately (huffing and puffing is okay!). Maybe tomorrow (being a little sore might actually make you feel good!).
An important step is to listen to what your body tells you.
If you find an exercise routine you love, you still may need to tweak it with more “rest” days, or extra time for stretching. As you move more, you might fall in love with that sweaty exercise high (or not), or maybe you need a strong push for mental motivation to get you over that “hump.”
A common problem I see…
…is women over-exercising with high intensity workouts, who are also under-eating…and they can’t get their weight to budge on the scale. So remember that rest days are good, and you should listen to your body to figure out where you feel best!
If you are feeling stressed, having a planned exercise routine with targeted activity + planned active rest might be the right combination to keep your stress levels in check.
Whatever it is that YOU need, remember that YOU are not like anyone else, so your journey for improved movement will look like yours alone. Honor what you need. This is one time that it’s so truly, totally okay to make it all about YOU! I’m here to support you!
